How to Get Free Publicity Ideas for Your Business

Getting your business mentioned in the press is an extremely good way to achieve a positive image and attract new customers to your business. Few things can give you as much credibility than as being recommended by a major newspaper or magazine. But just how do you write a press release that gets attention, and brings in results? Although I can't guarantee that you'll get media attention, I can tell you how you can increase the odds of seeing your business in the real-world media.

What is a Press Release?
A press release is a document that is written out in a specific format that is used to pitch a reporter or editor or to make an announcement
that you believe is newsworthy.

The basic outline for a press release is as follows:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact:
Full Name of Contact
Email Address
Direct Phone Number
URL

Headline

Some City, Some State -- Date (i.e. January 27th, 2001) -- Introductory paragraph that answers Who, When, Where, What and So What?

A second paragraph offering more information.

Third paragraph includes a quote that's attributed to somebody important, for example: "It's a revolutionary product," says Joe Smith, CEO of Big Company Inc.

Fourth paragraph includes some more information, perhaps another quote.

Fourth paragraph often includes history and background information about the company.

# # #
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The entire press release should be no more than 400 words, or one printed page.

Five Things That You Must Do In Your Press Release

1. Make your press release newsworthy. Make sure that you have something to say that'll be of interest to the readers of the publication that you're sending the press release to. Keep in mind that the media love news stories with a human side to them. Make your angle on the story entertaining, interesting or newsworthy or don't bother sending out a press release at all.

2. Target your releases. There's no point in sending a press release about the launch of your jewelry store to "Fishing World" magazine.

3. Use the proper press release format. Have a professional check the press release for grammar and spelling.

4. Keep the press release concise. Get to the point in the first paragraph. Use clear, concise, vivid language. There's no better way to get your story ignored than sending a lengthy release which doesn't state it's purpose (Who, When, Where, What) right upfront. Don't fill the press release with buzz-words, hyperbole and exaggerated claims.

5. Write an excellent headline. The headline is 90% of your press release. Here are a few headlines that worked extremely well

- I Can Help Anyone Find the Love of Their Life in 90 Days Or Less!

- Abraham Lincoln's Office Is Being Given Away... For Free!

- Brooklyn Bridge Sold By New Jersey Man... For $14.95!

Write headlines that attract attention, stir emotion and create pictures in the mind of the reader.

More On Targeting

Be careful who you send your press release to. When compiling your own media list don't waste your time getting the email addresses or fax numbers of every newspaper and magazine in the country, just the ones who would be interested in your story. Likewise, when you purchase a media list, don't send your press release to every contact. Take some time to filter out all the ones who wouldn't care about your press release, no matter how good it is.

How to Generate Business Sales Leads Through Referrals

To get more and better business leads network with those clients you already have a relationship with. (Note: some professions are prohibited from making gifts for referrals.)

1. Create a referral form.

A fill-in-the-blank referral form that is distributed quarterly to the names on your database is guaranteed to land leads. To help customers zero in on appropriate prospects, ask questions that relate to your nitch:"Whom do you know who's retiring in five years? Who just bought a new home? Who's launched a business?" Send a thank you note to everyone who sends you a referral. If you win a large account, send them a basket of flowers, bottle of wine or a magazine subscription.

2. Host a salon.

A salon is a business mixer for the sole purpose of garnering new business. Invite your best clients and ask each of them to bring a friend along. Because it is not easy for customers to think up prospects names when they don't know your market, send a list of the type of client you are trying to target along with the invitation.

3. Ask during delivery.

No matter what you sell, your clients are most likely to be enthusiastic at the point of delivery. (Weylman) This is an excellent time to leverage yourself. In fact, ask for referrals at any point in the sale.

4. Offer incentives.

Rewards for referrals that turn into business can range from free estimates, samples, consultations, coaching sessions to a discount on future purchases, etc. Just be careful to not give more than the referral is worth.

5. Sponsor a contest.

Enter everyone who sends a referral that coughs up a lead in a drawing. Make the prize substantial. "Make giving referrals fun," says Robert Middleton. Examples might range from a meal at an elegant inn to a mini-vacation or such.

6. Give leads in return.

This is one of the best ways to get referrals. But be absolutely sure that the referrals you give are competent and reliable. Remember your reputation is on the line. You don't want good intentions to jeopardize your relationship with your existing clients.

7. Pump prospects who've passed up your services.

Most potential client/customers feel bad when they have to turn your business down, so why not make them feel better by requesting leads. They do not see this as a burden. Just be sure to acknowledge them when the referrals come in and especially when they become a customer.

8. Swap leads with rivals.

If geography or time restricts your ability to service all your potential clients, simply pass along jobs you can't handle to other businesses and ask them to do the same. Giving these referrals scores you points with potential clients who may come back to you some day.

9. Cultivate reciprocal referrals from non-competitors.

Find out who is compiling a database of related business and ask to be included. The opportunities occur in businesses which are somewhat collateral to your own.

10. Tap suppliers.

Constantly remind vendors of your need for referrals. Send out a letter or brochure which says, "When my business grows, your business grows." Likely, reason you don't get more referrals is because you don't ask. So, ASK!

Predict Your Future. Do not use a crystal ball to make forecasts of your business. By carefully assessing the historic trends of
your business, as shown on your records for the previous five years, you can forecast for the year ahead. Your listing of sales,
your expertise with the markets in which you market, and your overall understanding of the economy should enable you to predict a
sales figure for the following year.

When You've Got a Sales prediction figure, make up a budget demonstrating your costs as a percentage of that figure. In the
following year, you can compare real P&L figures for your budgeted figures. Thus, your budget is an important tool for determining
the health of your enterprise.

Make Timely Decisions. Without actions, predictions and conclusions about the future are not worth the paper they're written on. A
decision that does not lead to action is a poor one. The rate of business demands timely in addition to informed decision making.
If the owner-manager would be to remain ahead of competition, you have to move to control your destiny.

Effective Decision making from the small business requires several things. The owner-manager should possess as much accurate
information as possible. With these facts, you need to establish the effects of all possible courses of actions and the time
requirements. When you have made the judgment, you have set up your company so the choices you make can be transmitted into
actions.

Control Your Business. To be effective, the owner-manager must have the ability to motivate key individuals to acquire the
outcomes planned for within the price and time limits allowed. In working to attain outcomes, the small business owner-manager has
an advantage over big business. You can be fast and flexible while many large businesses need to await committee actions before a
decision is made. You don't need to get permission to act. And equally important, bottlenecks to implementing new methods can
receive your own personal attention.

One of the Secrets is in deciding what things to restrain. Even in a small company, the owner-manager shouldn't try and be all
things to everybody. You should keep close control on individuals, products, money, and any other tools that you consider
important to maintaining your performance pointed toward profit.

Handle Your Folks. Most companies find that their biggest expense is labor. Yet because of the close contact with employees, a few
owner-manager of small businesses do not pay sufficient attention to direct and indirect labour costs. They tend to consider those
prices in terms of individuals as opposed to relate them to profit with respect to dollars and cents.

Listed below Are Some Suggestions regarding personnel handling:

Periodically Review every position in your business. Have a quarterly look at the job. Is work being replicated? Is it organized
so that it encourages the worker to become involved? Can the tasks be given to another employee or employees and a position
removed? Can a part-time person fill the job.

Play A modest private mental game. Imagine that you must get rid of one worker, If you needed to let 1 person go, who would it be?
How can you realign the jobs to make out? You may get a true solution to the fanciful difficulty is potential to your financial
benefit.

Usage Compensation as a tool rather than seeing it as a essential evil. Reward quality work. Look into the possibility of using
raises and bonuses as incentives for higher productivity. For instance, can you envision bonuses like morale boosters through
seasonal slacks or other dull periods?

Remember There are new ways of controlling absenteeism through incentive compensation plans. For instance, the owner-manager of
one little company eliminated holidays and sick leave. Instead, this owner-manager gave every worker thirty days annual leave to
use as the employee saw fit. At the end of the year, the workers were paid at regular rates for the depart that they didn't use.
To qualify for the year-end pay, the worker had to establish that sick leave was shot solely for this purpose. Non-sick leave had
to be applied for in advance. As a result, unscheduled absences and overtime pay have been decreased significantly. In addition,
employees were happier and more effective than they had been under the older system.

Control Your Inventory. Don't tie up all of your money in stock. Use a perpetual inventory system as a cost control rather than a
system only for taxation purposes. Establish use patterns or buy patterns on the materials or items you must stock to maintain the
minimum number needed to supply your customers to maintain production. Excessive stock, while it is finished merchandise or raw
materials, ties up funds which could be used to better advantage, for example, to open a new sales territory or to purchase new
machines.

Centralize your Buys and avoid duplications. Be a comparative shopper. Verify orders . Get the price and amount straight right
away.

Check what you Get for quality and condition. Check bills from suppliers against quotes. You do not want to be the victim of their
mistake.

You Ought to, However, keep 1 fact in mind when you set up your inventory control system. Don't spend more on the control system
than it will yield in savings.

Control Your Products. From charge of stock to control of products is but a step. Ensure that your sales people recognize the
importance of promoting the products which are the most lucrative. Align your service coverages along with your own markup in
mind. Arrange your goods so that low markup things require the least handling.

Control Your Money. It is good policy to handle checks and cash as though they were perishable commodities. They are. Cash in your
protected earns no recurrence; and it Can be stolen. Bank promptly.

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